The reason we’re putting this list together is that, when you’re desperately looking for a job and get contacted back for one, it’s so easy to forget what an interview’s all about (especially in a French company). It sure feels like it’s about you, but I’ve come to realize that it’s really not.

A job interview is basically all about how you (especially if you’re an expat) can help your future employer succeed. It’s actually all about finding out what this potential future boss requires then matching up your background and rich experience with what he/she really needs.

And you know what? It’s actually very easy to overlook these job interview facts. Like in any other company in your country of origin, there’s so much else going on in your future work in France, your life, and in your job hunt, that you can easily forget to look at the interview from your French interviewer’s point de vue.

I tend to think that’s seriously shameful because the objective here is to make sure that your interviewer walks away from the interview very impressed.

With this in mind, here’s a suggestion of questions you should ask your French interviewer.

1. What’s my future boss’ name and leadership style?

2. What are the four things I can do in the first 100 days to make you feel proud and great about giving me this job?

3. If I get this job, how do I earn a “gold star” on my performance review? Are there any key accomplishments you’d want to see in this position over the next year?

4. What’s the biggest change my future department has gone through in the last year? Do you feel like things are getting much better in the economy and for your business?

11. What are my future department’s best and worst working relationships with other departments in your company? What hard things do you have to deal with on a daily basis?

12. Who are my customers (internal or external) and what are the KPIs of my work? How does my future boss do performance reviews?

13. Who gets to decide that I’ll have this job and what’s the timeline for making that decision? When and how would you prefer that I get back in touch with you?

14. What does your “perfect” candidate for this position look like?

15. It looks like the economy has been getting better, and there have been a lot of hiring going on. Why did you decide to make this position a priority instead of the many others your company could have hired for?

16. What is your company’s reward system? What are the positive and the less-positive points about your reward system?

17. What does success for this department look like in a year? In 3 years? And what impact this department’s success has on the entire company?

18. What information is shared with this company? Is transparency part of your company’s culture (revenues, costs, operating metrics)? When and how is information shared in your company? How do I get access to the information that will help me get successful in this position?

19. What is the work rhythm around here? Is there any remote work culture?

20. What is my future boss’ hiring philosophy? Is it “hire the attitude / teach the skills” or are you primarily looking to add people with domain expertise first and foremost?

21. What characteristics do the people who are most celebrated in your company do have in common? Conversely, what characteristics are common to the promising people you hired, but who then flamed out and failed or left? As I’m considering whether or not I’d be successful in your company, how should I think about the experiences of your heroes?

22. How is diversity put at work in your company?

Over to you!

Is there any of the above-mentioned questions you’ve ever brought up in a Job interview?